


Sleepless in the Red Keep

by KungfuChicken



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Bad Boys, Fascination, The tourney of the Hand, strictly book canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 20:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6625087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KungfuChicken/pseuds/KungfuChicken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Women are fascinated with bad boys and their dark secrets, it is known.<br/>Sandor Cleganes words are taken directly from George R. R. Martins ASOIAF, A Game of Thrones.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleepless in the Red Keep

“There’s a pretty for you. Take a good long stare. You know you want to. I’ve watched you turning away all the way down the kingsroad. Piss on that. Take your look.”

This was what he had said sometime earlier when he had escorted her back to the Reed Keep, this awful man. This rude, threatening, drunk man who claimed to despise all she admired and loved. Oh, he was impossible! He scared her, he mocked her, he was a complete… No! A true lady would never even think of such horrible names to call someone. No matter how much said someone might deserve them! 

Now she was lying in her bed. He had brought her back safely, although he was not the company she would have wished for or chosen for herself. But after this evening it seemed quite logical to her why Sandor Clegane acted the way he did. The poor man, maimed by his own brother, left alone with his pain and his anger! She sighed deeply. Suddenly she shook her head irritably. She should be reminiscing about the grand tourney, the most splendid thing she had ever seen! Today her life had indeed been just like a song. But now all she did was think of Joffreys bodyguard, Sandor Clegane. That horrible man with his horrible burns, his horrible attitude and his horrible story. 

“You know you want to.”

He had sounded harsh and vexed, almost as if he was accusing her of improper leering. What a preposterous idea! Well bred noble ladies were not taught how to leer! But she knew she couldn’t help glancing in his direction whenever he was nearby. Firstly it was because of his burns. They were hideous and fascinating at the same time. It was hard not to look! Feebly she tried to reason with herself that Sandor Clegane was a big man who towered over everybody else. He just couldn’t be overlooked. And yet, if she did not want to look at him all she had to do was not look. Lord Renly Baratheon was a tall and very handsome man too and she had absolutely no difficulties overlooking him. But she just had to look at Sandor Clegane. She could not help it. And because a lady did not gape openly, she had to catch discreet glimpses. Lately she had noticed how wide Sandor Cleganes shoulders were or that he had powerful arms with strong sinewy hands. She wriggled under her blankets with embarrassment when she remembered she mistook his hands for her father’s, that one time on the kingsroad. 

Even without the burns his face would have held something feral with the thick black eyebrows the hooked nose and the sharp cheekbones. With the burns he looked downright alarming. Today he had been riding his big black courser into the tourney grounds and he had looked so powerful and ferocious, like a dark villain in some of the scary stories Bran loved so much. She remembered her heart starting to beat faster the moment she had spotted him among the knights. And tonight this frightening warrior had opened his heart to her and told her his terrible, tragic secret. Again she sighed deeply. 

But this was not what she wanted to think about! There had been many gallant, splendid-looking knights today: the Knight of Flowers, perfect Ser Loras Tyrell for example. Ser Jaime Lannister, golden and dazzling or the dashing Lord Beric Dondarrion. She should be gushing about them or about Prince Joffrey. But once again, she had not been able to look away from Joffreys dog. May the gods help her! Could it be that she had to look at him because she liked what she saw? 

“You know you want to.” His words rang in her head.

And again she shook her head vigorously. No, it was just not possible! She was the betrothed of the crown prince Joffrey Baratheon. And he was as golden and handsome as anyone could wish for. Maybe not as gallant as she had hoped but she was willing to overlook that fact. She turned to the side and decided that she would go to sleep and forget about this foolish notion. It was probably just the wine and the excitement. It would pass. Tomorrow she would cheer for perfect Ser Loras or golden Ser Jaime and she would adore her beautiful prince, no matter how tall, broad in the shoulder and full of dark, tragic mystery Sandor Clegane was.


End file.
